Crafty or Thrifty?

I never subscribed to Pintrest because I'm not a very crafty person. I like to see how people make something nice out of little bits of nothing but my attempts to duplicate such things usually wind up lopsided or worse. I'm not artistic enough to paint cute little faces on jars, etc. But I do love to put things together to make something without laying out a great deal of cash. It's not the crafty spirit within me but the good old tightwad German genes. Today's activity is a case in point.

I've been thinking for several years that I should replace the curtains in the garage. They were so thin I could see right through them and they were falling apart. They had lived in a bedroom for many years before being demoted to the garage but even their second life was expiring.

On an impulse, I decided today was the day to do something about it. But I did not have any old curtains to move out there or any fabric to make new ones. Or did I? A rummage through my scrap box yielded a piece of green plaid that was big enough for the valance. What could I use for the panels. Heaven forbid that I should spend MONEY for fabric for garage curtains.

Ah! A flat bed sheet! That's would do it. I went through my little pile of spares and found a flat yellow sheet I never use that would go nicely with the green plaid. The garage is the domain of a John Deere man so green and yellow were the perfect colors. (Why on earth did I even have a yellow sheet seeing as I hate yellow? I have no answer.)

Okay, I'm all set. I rip out all the seams, stitch away, and viola! New garage curtains! It isn't the kind of thing that would rate a spot on Pintrest but I am quite pleased with the results. Especially since the only cost was time and thread. That's all it takes to warm a thrifty German heart.

 

 

Hats Off to My Boys!

Eleven years ago our youngest son dreamed of becoming an RN with an added certification as a PHRN (pre-hospital RN). He graduated from Alvernia University with a BS in nursing in 2010. A year later a wife joined his life. That put the rest of the dream on hold for awhile. In 2013 he took the course for the PHRN. Yesterday he took the final State test and passed! He is now a certified PHRN. We're happy for him and commend him for his persistence.

The second big thing that happened yesterday is that I got Grayson to say "Grandma" for the first time. I've been keeping him one day per week since he was about 3 months old. He definitely knew who Grandma was but he didn't say the word. Yesterday, after a little coaxing, he finally got the word out for the first time and after that it was easy to say it again. That made a happy grandma!

A Word To The Wise

The old saying is, "A word to the wise is sufficient." I guess I proved I'm not one of the wise and it takes more than a word to get through to me.

A couple weeks ago my son said I should keep my Social Security card in a safe place and not carry it in my wallet. Someone whose Social Security card is lost or stolen is likely to have all kinds of trouble due to identify theft. If someone has your Social Security number they can do all kinds of business with it in your name. You cannot change your number for protection if the card is lost or stolen. The best you can do is to put a fraud alert on it and watch for suspicious activity. You very seldom need to show your card. All you need to do is memorize your number. Keep your number in your head and your card in a safe place. I agreed he's right but didn't take action.

When I checked in at the doctor yesterday I discovered my insurance card was missing. In fact, the entire pack of cards was missing. My drivers license, credit, and bank cards were in another part of my wallet and intact, but the other thingy with the insurance and Social Security cards was entirely missing. There were some other small cards in it that were not critical but I knew I'm in big trouble if my Social Security card fell into the wrong hands. I didn't remember when I had last used anything in that pack and feared I had lost it somewhere between here and South Dakota last month.

A day of searching and praying ended without finding my cards. This afternoon when I got in the car to go to the dentist I found the whole pack of cards in the door pocket on the drivers side, hiding behind a road map collected on the trip. Nothing was missing. I have no memory of when or how it got there. 

I vowed if and when I find it I will immediately take my Social Security card out of it and put it in a safe place. I kept my vow. 

A word to the wise may be sufficient but for me it took a good scare. I'm telling you this story in case you are carrying your card in your wallet. Don't! Be wise and put it in a safe place. 

Men At Work

About a month after the projected starting date, work began at the church today. The old building will undergo some remodeling and an addition will be attached where a house was demolished. The first thing that needed to be done was to make an opening in the wall where a doorway will provide access between the old and new sections.

Dirt flew as the old bricks were removed.

Debris piled up inside the men's anteroom.

 

This pile of stones, salvaged from the cellar of the house that was demolished, will be used for a façade on the lower portion of the addition to match the lower wall of the old building.

 

We've been looking forward to this day for a long time but now it has finally arrived. Our wheelchair member won't be able to get into the building until the addition is completed.